Curiosity Killed the Cat
by INSANITY - BRILLIANCE
Summary: Mikael has learned to accept that his sister is gone and she's not coming back. However while he was scrounging for food in a little suburb he comes across something unexpected. What will he do when he meets a soul who does not seem to be afraid of anything? How will he get rid of her if she won't leave him alone? Will they come to sort of an agreement or is he destined to be...
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**

When the initial colonization hit brother and sister were torn apart. Mikael has learned to accept that his sister is gone and she's not coming back. However while he was scrounging for food in a little suburb he comes across something unexpected. What will he do when he meets a soul who does not seem to be afraid of anything? How will he get rid of her if she won't leave him alone? Will they come to sort of an agreement or is he destined to be haunted by his sister's ghost?

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**Curiosity Killed the Cat  
Chapter One**

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The young man's name was Mikael Geller. He was much like anyone else. Two eyes, two ears, one mouth, one nose, hands and feet –there was no physical discrepancy. No one would have been able to pick him out of a crowd. There was however one noticeable difference, Mikael was a human and because Mikael was a human he represented everything wrong with the world.

The alien race, Souls as they called themselves, which invaded the Earth didn't value humanity. They only saw it as an imperfection, a disease that needed to be cured. To them humans were greedy, selfish, manipulative, and just all around bad. They stole from each other. They killed each other. They treated each other as outcasts because of petty prejudices such as religion, ethnicity, and status. The Souls thought they were doing this world a favor when they took over and some could argue that they did.

The environment has never been healthier, people have never been happier, there is no war or famine or sickness. Honesty, courtesy, and kindness are practiced by all. Earth has become the most perfect place to live… for a Soul that is.

If a person was not a Soul, like Mikael was not, then Earth was a very terrifying place.

To be prey hunted down by Seekers only to be cut opened by Healers and have a Soul inserted into your body was the fate of every human being. There were no exceptions. Because humans were bad and Souls were good, humanity had to be erased from this world. Still what Souls failed to realize was that not every human being was that way.

For you see Souls in general are actually very similar to one another. Physically, they look the same, they act the same, they all respond the same way –in fact it is almost impossible for one Soul to differentiate from another. Souls did not take the individual into account because to them the individual didn't exist. So when they found this measly planet and observed how the human interacted with each other of course they were shocked. All it really took was one look at a newspaper or one click of a TV remote for them to see humanity at its worst. No one ever told them that it was just the minority who was doing all this. They didn't know any better because they were Souls and Souls by definition are all things good.

Very few, if any, questioned this reasoning. For a Soul to question another Soul is unthinkable and for a Soul to lie to another is even rarer, but for one to turn their back on all others to help a human… Well, that's just crazy. Nevertheless that is exactly what she did.

There once was a human who said: "All great deeds and all great thoughts have ridiculous beginnings." The human who said that didn't realize how right they were. A story between a Soul and a human can only begin in stupidity.

It was stupidity that got you caught. It was what got Mikael caught now.

"Make one move and you die," he hissed.

The Soul had her back turned to the man when he entered her kitchen that fateful morning. She had been scrounging her fridge for ingredients necessary to make a turkey sub so she didn't notice his approach. A draft of wind bellowed in from the sliding glass door that she had always left unlocked. She never thought that there was any reason to lock her doors. All Souls were kind. She had nothing to fear from them. But it became apparent to her that it wasn't a Soul who stood behind her now.

She could feel the sharp blade of a knife pressed against her throat as she swallowed. The man wasn't putting enough pressure on the blade to hurt her just enough that she knew he was serious. Silence filled the tiny kitchen as she waited for something to happen. The only sounds in the room were the two people's quiet steady breathing.

The Soul felt the pressure increase on the blade as the man leaned in toward her ear. "Why aren't you saying anything?" He asked.

"You told me not to move," she answered, "and considering that there is a knife pressed to my throat I had no doubt you would follow through to kill me if I had."

The man removed the knife from her throat and spun her around pinning her to the door of the fridge. His eyes widen a fraction as he took in her appearance. Honey blonde hair glided past her shoulders in soft flowing waves and familiar azure eyes stared back at him. A small mole under her left eye was all the indication he needed to know that this was her. "Sammy?"

The woman's eyes widen as well, "Mikael."

But it wasn't Sammy. The person standing before only looked like his little sister. Sammy was gone and she wasn't coming back. What stood before him now was only a mirage. It was an imposter in his sister's body and he knew that. It didn't matter that it looked like her, he should kill it. It's what Sammy would've wanted.

"What are you doing here? It's dangerous to break into a person's house while they're still home," she scolded sounding a lot like his sister. But it wasn't his sister, it wasn't. He had to keep reminding himself of that.

"I don't want to hear that from you, parasite," he hissed pressing the knife to her throat again.

That seemed to quiet her for a bit. "What are you planning to do now? You've put yourself in a sticky situation. You can't leave because your keeping me pinned and if you did leave what's to stop me from telling the seekers you were here," she said.

"I'll just slit your throat. That'll stop you from telling anyone I was here," he said.

"Tsk. Tsk. Honestly I thought you knew better," she sighed, "If you slit my throat eventually someone is going to notice. That will still alert the Seekers to your presence. I don't think you want to cart a corpse around with seeing as you came here on foot. That will just slow you down. Besides I really don't think you can even if you wanted to. You're not a killer."

"You don't know what I am," he growled.

"Contrary to what you believe I do know a lot about you. I know that you loved Sammy more than anything. That she sacrificed herself for you. I know that you hate yourself because of it because you're the big brother and you were the one who was supposed to protect her," the Soul paused a faraway look in her eyes, " She loved you too. It's good to see that her sacrifice wasn't in vain."

Mikael was unsure of how to respond to any of that. This Soul didn't seem much like the others. No Soul that he's ever come across would've been as straightforward as this one. It was unclear whether the Soul itself was that way or if it was just Sammy's personality influencing its response.

"Well, I've made my decision."

"What decision?" He asked. Had he missed something?

"I'm going to help you."

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**Okay so I really really really shouldn't be starting another story. I have far to many already, but I really really really wanted to write this. I was reading other Host fanfics and there weren't really many that I liked. So naturally I decided to start my own.**

**I was originally intending to start it later in Mikael and the Soul's journey, but I decided what the hell that's going to leave a lot of stuff unexplained so I might as well start at the beginning. But be rest assured eventually the main characters will meet up the Cannon characters. **

**Please review and tell me if any of you are interested in me continuing this story. I love reviews and constructive criticism is encouraged. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Curiosity Killed the Cat  
Chapter Two**

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"I'm going to help you."

"_No. No. No. Why did you phrase it like that? Don't you know what he's going to think? He's going to think you're crazy or worse that you're a Seeker!"_

The Soul internally cringed at the sudden interruption inside her head. Sammy was so loud. It made it difficult to think sometimes. "_Please be quiet. I'll fix it,"_ she told her hoping that would do something to calm the booming voice.

"I'm sorry. I think you may have misunderstood me," she said.

Mikael was frowning. "No. I think I understood you just fine, Seeker," he snarled. This was bad, really really bad.

The Soul tried to back away from the blade. "No. I'm not a Seeker. I'm an artist. See," she moved her hand to point toward a painting hanging on the wall as if that would prove anything, "I don't want to turn you in. That's the last thing I want. I want to help you…"

He was incredulous. This could all be a trap. This Soul could just be lying to save her own neck and when his guard is down she would turn him in. "Let's just say for a second that I believe you," he said, "Why? Why would you want to help me?"

That was a difficult question. The Soul knew she couldn't tell him it was because she had been sharing a body with his sister for the past eight years. He would automatically assume that she was lying and kill her. She also couldn't tell him it was because she felt protective of him or that she wanted him to be safe and she didn't really want to tell him it was because she was curious. "This body," she started, "it doesn't belong to me. It's not mine. It's Sammy's."

Mikael arched an eyebrow. "And?" He prompted curious as to what the Soul was going to say.

The Soul sighed. "And your Sammy's brother. I owe Sammy. So by extension I owe you," she explained. She hoped that that was enough. She had wanted to meet him for a very long time; Him, Mikeal, not the Soul that would have inhabited his body. When he showed up here, at her house, still human she was so very happy. She almost didn't care that he had a knife to her throat. He was still human. He hadn't gotten caught and she wasn't going to let him get caught. So naturally, she wanted him to trust her.

Mikael however did not trust her. He was confused, yes, but he did not trust her. It almost sounded like she felt guilty for what she was. He wasn't sure of what to make of that. If it was a Seeker, it was one of the best Seekers he had ever come across. He almost wanted to believe it, but he was no fool. He wouldn't be a fool again.

"What's your name? Do you go by Sammy or is it something else?" He asked.

"You can call me Sammy," she said timidly, "or you can call me Aurora if you like. I don't really care. Do whatever you're comfortable with."

"I don't believe you," Mikael whispered, "I don't believe that is the reason you want to help me; or even if you want to help me. But I do want to know one thing."

"Yes?" Aurora urged him to continue. She would tell him whatever he wanted to know. He deserved that at least.

"_Especially if he can't know I'm in here too."_ Sammy added somberly.

"What happened to Sammy?"

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**I know its short. It's really short, but short chapters seem to be the only ones I can write right now. I can assure you that the chapters will get longer, a lot longer. But for now I'm just going to stick with these short chapters and see what happens. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Curiosity Killed the Cat  
Chapter Three**

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Fear had locked her in a vice. They were running, no she was running, forcing her legs to move. The memory came back with such vivid clarity that for a moment both Aurora and Sammy were transported from that tiny kitchen back to where it all began. The first memory or really the last memory; the last memory Samantha Geller had had before her occupation.

"_Faster, I have to move faster. I won't let them catch me,"_ she thought as she sprinted through the darkened corridors of the warehouse. They were gaining on her now. She didn't have much time. She had to move.

One foot after another pounded against the cement echoing down the long dark hallway. Adrenaline pumped through her veins heightening her senses. They were close. She could feel it. A second pair of heavy footsteps could be heard just a ways off, but her pulse was so loud inside her head that it drowned everything else out.

Sammy came to a set of stairs and scurried up them as fast as she could. She had to get outside, but this warehouse was like a maze. It confused her, turning this way than that. The girl climbed to the top of the stairs not pausing for a second before she pushed open the heavy metal door that lead to the roof.

Hot humid air engulfed her as she stepped out into the scorching Florida sun. It was so hot, yet she barely noticed. Sammy kept her attention focused on the path ahead of her, on her feet. She couldn't focus on anything else.

"Wait! Stop! Please don't hurt yourself. We only want to help you," a voice called from the darkness.

Lies. All lies. They didn't want to help her. They wanted to kill her –to cut her open and implant one of those worms into the back of her neck. But she wouldn't let them. She refused to be taken.

After all she had promised. Mikael needed her, even if he didn't want to admit it. She kept him sane, level-headed. Without her she wasn't sure if he would be able to make it. Her eyes darted around looking for an escape.

Aurora panicked as Sammy sprinted toward the edge of the roof. "_NO! Stop! You're not going to make it," _she screeched though it would do no good. This was memory and there was nothing she could do to stop Sammy from throwing herself off that roof. Their feet left platform in that instant and Aurora braced for the fall. Sammy's arms were out stretched as she flung herself hoping to grab hold of the ledge of the roof on the opposite side of the alley.

But it was too far and, like all the other times before, Aurora could do nothing to prevent the fall. She could only hold on until the memory was over; brace for the pain and remember that it was only a memory. _It was only a memory._

"After you and Sammy spilt up she led the seekers on a chase through the warehouse. Eventually she found herself cornered on the roof. There was another building not that far off –across the alley. She thought she could jump the gap and loose them." Aurora winced as she tried not to think about what came next. "She was wrong. The distance between the two buildings was too much. So she fell –broke both her legs. She couldn't run, but she managed to drag herself behind a dumpster. It didn't do any good in the end –the seekers still found her. All the blood... it was… hard to miss."

He let the information she had just given him sink in. It was just like Sammy to try some half-assed move like that. It was still difficult to think about though. He should've been there. He shouldn't have listened when Sammy said to meet him at the bridge. He should've known that something like that would happen.

Aurora watched the man cautiously, her back still pressed to the door of the fridge. Neither of them had moved much since she had begun her story. Mikael had given her a little more space, but he was still towering over her. The knife had been dropped down to his side, his grip still firm on the handle. She knew that if he had wanted too he could easily slice her up right then and there.

His face was a carefully controlled mask. He gave nothing away. Aurora bravely placed a hand on his arm ignoring how he jerked away. "Would you like a something to eat? I was just about to make lunch," she said.

"You're offering me food?"

"Of course," she replied confused, "what kind of host would I be if I didn't?"

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**Author's Note:**

Okay so this chapter is still relatively short compared to what I normally write. A little longer than the last chapter, but still shorter than the first. I'll be getting more into Sammy's and Aurora's relationship in later chapters. I already have quite a few ideas. Though this story is still pretty open ended. I have an idea where I'm going with it. I just don't have anything really concrete so I'm open for any suggestion. You can PM me or leave them in the reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

**Curiosity Killed the Cat  
Chapter Four**

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Aurora watched with fascination as Mikael ate. It was a curious thing. Unlike souls, who were so meticulous and neat, it was strange to watch him scarf down two subs in a matter of minutes. She wondered if all humans ate like that. Then she remembered a time when she had devoured an entire pizza by herself and thought that it was probably something akin to that.

_"He looks okay doesn't he?"_ Sammy asked.

The soul examined the man in question. If she could pick a word to describe him it wouldn't had been _okay_. He looked like some wild mountain man that strolled out of the woods –granted he did stroll out of the woods. His appearance was ragged. His clothes were unkempt and wrinkled. He was sprouting a short beard, which she reckoned developed from months of not shaving, and there were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. To put it plainly she would not have recognized him had he not recognized her first. _"I guess,"_ she decided.

_"How long do you think we can get him to stay?"_

_"Sammy!"_ Aurora reproached, _"He can't stay here. It's not safe."_

_"Then what do you suggest?"_ She huffed angrily,_ "He can't walk out that door. I can't lose him again. Not now, not when I just got him back. Please Aurora! Don't let me lose my family."_

Aurora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Is something wrong?"

Mikael was staring at her queerly. Aurora attempted a small smile. "No everything's fine. It only small headache," she assured him.

The two lapsed into silence neither quite sure what to say to the other. In all her lives Aurora had never been in a situation like this. She had had more lives than most, been to more planets than most too. Earth was her seventh planet. Many found that the process of changing host bodies was disorientating and because of this most souls only traveled to two or three planets before choosing a more permanent home.

Except Aurora was curious by nature, she didn't understand why souls would limit themselves to just one planet for all eternity. It didn't make any sense. Why they would choose to settle or why they, with the case of the humans, continue to live out the host body's life. It all seemed so boring.

Then again Aurora never found her fellow souls to be particularly interesting. Maybe she was just too different. There was always something a little odd about her. She remembered how she used to predict what the other souls on the Mists planet would say before they actually said it. They were all so transparent. Maybe that's why she was nervous. She couldn't tell what Mikael was thinking.

She found it both irritating and invigorating that having lived eight rotations of Earth's sun she had still not come any closer to understanding humans. Humans were unpredictable, nothing like her species. It seemed whenever she had one question answered a dozen more would spring up in its place.

_"Oh Gawd, that's rank,"_ Sammy recoiled interrupting her thoughts, "_Tell him to go take a shower_."

Aurora fought the urge to roll her eyes.

Mikael had been observing the soul leaning across the breakfast bar from him just as much as she had been observing him. He noticed how she would often seem to zone out as if her eyes would stare right through him. It was almost as she was debating something to herself. Periodically she would mumble things under her breath, all that he was able to make out were: "stay...not safe" and after a pause a very clear, "Rude much?"

"Excuse me?" He asked. His voice seemed to snap her back to reality as she jumped and bumped her elbow into the granite counter top.

She let out a low hiss her hand instinctively rubbing the bruised appendage.

_"Great job; you said that last bit out loud."_ Sammy drawled sardonically.

"I wasn't…sometimes I talk to myself," she explained, "Sorry." Her eyes flickered to his empty plate, "Are you done?"

Mikeal followed her line of sight. "Yeah, sure," He said distractedly as he handed her his plate. Aurora took the plate with a smile.

"Do you want anything else –desert? I think there's some ice cream in the freezer," she offered.

"No. Thanks." He watched as she took the dirty dishes to the sink and began to rinse them before grabbing a sponge and scrubbing at the dirty glasses. The act was strangely familiar as he remembered the several meals he had with Sammy over the years. She would almost always be the one to clear the table, even if she cooked, and wash the dishes. Often he would take up a dish towel and dry, while the two talked about their day. Watching Aurora now only served to remind him that it wasn't his sister standing at the sink scrubbing the dishes.

Wanting to dispel those thoughts from his head his eyes began wandering the room of the moderately sized house. There wasn't an overabundance of clutter that most people tended to have. Instead everything in the house served a purpose. Intricately carved wooden picture frames and purposely positioned paintings gave color to the room along with the various colored pottery pieces being used as candle holders, coasters, and vases for flowers.

"You said you're an artist," he spoke softly, trying to at least attempt a conversation.

"Yes. I work at the local learning facility as an educator on the human condition in history and art. I believe you would call me a teacher." She told him.

"Did you make all of this?" He asked gesturing to the room around them. She turned back toward him still drying the plate in her hands. Her eyes darted around the length of the room and she nodded. "They're very good."

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

Mikael looked at her curiously. She was so much like his sister but wasn't at the same time. "Sammy never had any talent for art."

Aurora laughed filtering through Sammy's memories of her attempts at artistic pursuits. "No she didn't. Her hearts looked like potatoes and her potatoes looked like stars." The small smile left her face when she noticed Mikael's expression. He was frowning again; his brow furrowed and staring at his hands.

_"Oh no. That's his thinking face. He's going to get really depressed and cagey now." _Sammy observed.

_"What do I do?"_ Aurora asked.

_"Change the subject. Get his mind on other things,"_ she replied.

"Mikael –is it alright if I call you Mikael?" She asked. The man stared at her seriously considering the question before nodding. His acceptance brought a smile to her face, "Okay, well, I was wondering if you planned on spending the night here. It will be dark soon and I don't think it'd be the best idea to be wandering those woods. With all those mountain lions and bears –Did you know I saw a bear out here the other day? But that's getting off topic –it's not really safe. Of course you're probably in more danger here than you are out there." She paused considering it, "I completely understand if you don't want to. We've only just met and I'm sure you mistrust me…"

_"Aurora, get to the point! You're starting to ramble," _Sammy hissed.

"Anyways I was wondering if you wanted to sleep here tonight. I have a really comfortable couch or you could take my bed if you preferred. There's hot water for a shower and I could wash some of your clothes for you. I promise I'm not going to call the seekers." She shifted nervously under his steady gaze.

"Why?" He questioned staring at her as if she were some great mystery, "I mean, why would you do that? Not two hours ago I had a knife to your throat and now you're offering me asylum."

She could only think of one thing to say. "I owe you."

"Yeah," he grumbled, "you already said that."

"And I mean it!" She exclaimed, "You have no idea how much I'm indebted to you and your sister."

Mikael sighed rubbing his tired eyes. He had to admit that the offer did sound tempting. It had been weeks since he had had a warm shower and a soft place to sleep other than the ground. But it was risky. Maybe what Aurora was telling him was the truth; maybe, she did in fact feel some sort of weird obligation towards him. However on the off chance that she was lying and this was all an act, it could prove to be a mistake that could cost him his life. He had no idea what do to do in this situation.

"What can I say to convince you that I'm not going to do anything?" She asked appearing hurt at his hesitance.

He shook his head unsure of how to respond. "You tell me."

That seemed to shut her up as she brought her hand up to her chin thoughtfully. She didn't know the first thing about trying to convince a human that you aren't going to turn them in to the seekers. She wasn't even sure how to even broach the subject. _"Do you have any suggestions?"_ Aurora asked Sammy, "_You know him better than I do."_

_"Sorry," _Sammy sighed apologetically, _"I don't have the slightest clue."_

Coming to a conclusion she dropped her hand at her side. "Come on, I want to show you something." She gestured for him to follow her down the hallway to two French glass doors. Mikael did as requested lagging a bit behind her, while she grabbed the door knobs and pushed the doors open with a flourish. "This is my studio," she told him moving out of the way so he could better see the room.

It was definitely not what he was expecting. There were half finished canvases of oil and water color depicting scenes of sprawling cities and scenic nature views. In the corner was an easel with a large sketch pad and printed on the page was a rough outline of two people kicking what appeared to be a soccer ball back and forth. There was also a pottery wheel that was currently covered with a variety of paintbrushes and pencils. Something he noticed about the paintings though was the noticeable lack of the silver ring in the people's eyes. All of the pictures, every single one of them, portrayed earth as it was before the Souls invaded.

Aurora walked over to a large wooden cabinet along the wall and opened one of the doors. She retrieved a much smaller sketch book from inside it and returned to Mikael's side. "Here," she said holding the book out for him to take, "If this doesn't convince you that I mean you no harm; then I'm not sure what will."

Mikael took the book from her and flipped open the cover. His eyes widened as he stared back at his own face. It was a little younger and way less scruffy, but there was no mistaking that it was him. He flipped through the rest of the pages seeing scenes that he remembered. Some of them included Sammy and others he was just by himself. But every one of the pages had him on it. "I-I don't know what to say," he said looking back up at Aurora's expectant face, "This is incredible."

"Thank you." She smiled softly at the complement, "Does this mean that I convinced you to stay?"

He examined the book in his hands again feeling a calm come over him. "I suppose one night shouldn't be so bad." He admitted grudgingly.

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**Author's Note:**

So what is going to happen now? Who knows. I've been taking a bit of a vacation from writing, but now that I'm back I feel refreshed and I want to start writing again. I'd like to thank those of you who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. It really means a lot.


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